Interview with
Ms Hayatt Zein
Commercial Director
First of all, Hayatt please tell our readers about the history and ownership of Get Shipping in Mauretania will you?
At the beginning, I thank you for this opportunity to introduce my company to your readers.
Get Shipping Mauritania is a group of four integrated companies, specializing in global logistics for both sea and air freight and vessel consignments in Mauritania. The Head manager is Mr Cheikh Baye Maham. He created both: Amina for IT and Telecommunications Services in 2012 and E.C.B.T Agency of Transit and Consignment with 30 years experience in customs clearance. Then, he bought the vast majority of the company ShipLog for Vessel Consignments in 2017. After that, in 2021, Mr. Maham formed Get SHIPPING SA for Handling, Warehousing and Storage, with a yard of 32,000 square meters in Port Nouakchott (PANPA).
In a short time, the Get Shipping Mauritania Group has become a provider of commercial trading services with a very huge relationship with Mauritanian businessmen. The Get Shipping Mauritania Group has a branch specialized in export of all kinds of fish from Mauritania to Europe, Asia and Middle East. The Group has attracted the attention and confidence of several customers.
Thus, with his great ambition, Mr. Maham succeeded in developing his networking through international transit associations:
CGLI, OOG, Priority Cargo Network, BIMCO in March 2021
IAPH, CLC Projects, ISSA, UFO, FIATA in April 2021
Get Shipping Mauritanian Group is a company located in Mauritania, specializing in Stevedore, Ship agency, Forwarding and all kinds of port operations. We have a well-trained team with good knowledge and long experience in the field of shipping. The team’s solid strategies bring the perfect combination that will meet customer demands in the most professional manner, and we have all the agreements needed in this field to provide a wide range of solutions. From the start, our most valuable assets are and will be the quality of our work. We are committed to achieving and maintaining the highest level of quality in all our services. Our staff members are sufficiently prepared to comply with all governing regulations. Shipping and logistics activities and continuous training strategy has been put in place for real-time compliance with any changes and new regulations.
Get Shipping Mauritanian Group is providing the following services in both of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou Ports: Airfreight/Sea-freight; Bunkers Surveys; Cargo Tally Surveys; Clearing & Forwarding; Cruise Vessel Agency; Gas Freeing Certificate; Grouping Services; Handling Services; Holds Cleaning Certificate; Liner Agency; Offshore Agency; Shore Excursion; Representation of Worldwide, Forwarding Organization; Stevedoring – All Types of Cargo (Ctnr, Bagged Cargo and Bulk); Tally/Survey Cargo; Tramp Agency; Transport (Cargo Delivery to Warehouses); Warehousing.
Mauretania is a country and is less known to most in shipping. What can you tell us about the ports available in your country and what you can tell us about the natural resources of your country that impact shipping, etc.?
The Port of Nouakchott PANPA
The Port of Nouakchott PANPA is the port which represents one of the pillars of the national economy. It enjoys a privileged geographical position which predestines it to play a leading role in international trade. It is called upon to adapt to socioeconomic changes to accompany the rapid development of the country’s trade with the rest of the world.
Its traffic has grown exponentially since its commissioning in 1986, going from less than 400,000 toes in 1987 to 3,664,496 in 2016, at an average rate of +9.52% per year. The traffic recorded by PANPA, in 2019, reached an overall tonnage of 4,967,340 tons.
Infrastructure
Quays 1455m long, distributed as follows:
- Former quay 585 m long, 47 m wide, connected to the median by a 750 m long footbridge; 10.5 m wide
- New quay 700 m long (450 m north side + 250m south side), 69 m wide (with 200m access to the quay), dredged at the coast -12.00 to accommodate third generation container ships and 40,000 dwt tankers and has a 40 m wide RORO ramp.
Temporary oil station 170 m long, dredged at -9.50 for tankers and LNG carriers from 5 to 10,000 dwt
A total of 7 berths + 1 service quay and 1 oil station in service since January 22, 2012
Total land area of 14,672 ha
Total area of leased medians 35 ha
Groynes and protective dyke of more than 7000 m to the south
The Port of Nouadhibou
The Port of Nouadhibou is located at 20 ° 54 North latitude, 17 ° 03, West longitude, on the edge of a bay, naturally protected against the swells of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a vector of the national economy in general and the main source of development for the city of Nouadhibou in the areas of fishing, trade and maritime transport.
The Port of N’Diago
The Port of N’Diago, located 220 km south of Nouakchott and 40 km from Keur Macène, a department bordering Saint-Louis in Senegal, will soon be operational.
When it opens, the port of N’Diago will also constitute an essential infrastructure in the exploitation, by 2022, of the Mega gas field Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) discovered in 2015 by Kosmos Energy on the Mauritanian maritime border with Senegal.
It is also a commercial port where goods can be unloaded to be transported to the interior of the country and even to the landlocked countries of West Africa by river, much cheaper and more secure than the waterway, thus reviving the old lines of transport of people and goods by the river between St-Louis and Kayes in Mali.
Mineral Port of SNIM
Located on the Baie du Lévrier on the east coast of the Cap Blanc peninsula, the port of SNIM can accommodate boats of 150,000 tons. The facilities annexed to the ore port are:
• A rotary rocker with a nominal capacity of 4000 t / h
• A conveyor and storage circuit
• An ore processing plant (tertiary and quaternary crushing) with a capacity of 8 Mt / year
• A boat loading circuit equipped with a ship loader with a capacity of 5,000 t / h
How about customs clearance in Mauritania. Does that always take place in ports; is it difficult and what kind of rule of thumb could you inform our readers about if they have shipments to your country?
Customs procedures have been simplified, tariff rates rationalized, and most non-tariff measures eliminated. The customs nomenclature corresponds to the system harmonized by the OMC.
All goods entering the territory are subject to a declaration. These are managed under the SYDONIA computerized system and are processed on site by the Customs offices, except when they are not computerized, in which case they are reprocessed by the General Directorate of Customs.
Imports exceeding USD 5,000 are controlled by the General Society de Surveillance (GSS). The customs tariffs applied are ad-valorem tariffs. The valuation of goods is based on the transaction value, except for used cars for which the minimum import value continues to be used.
There are 3 different rates of customs duties: the standard rate of 20%, the minimum rate of 5% applicable to countries benefiting from the most-favored-nation clause, and the rate of 0% applied to certain products, in particular those most needed.
Customs duties are progressive, according to the level of processing of products. In addition to customs duties, most imported products are subject to a statistical tax of 3%. Some agricultural products are also subject to seasonal duties.
Exemptions and exemptions from customs duties and import taxes, as well as duty drawbacks are sometimes applied.
The documents required for imports are as follows:
- The commercial invoice with the name and address of the buyer and seller, the date and place where it was established, the method of transport, the quantity, the description of the goods and the terms of delivery and payment
- Bill of Lading or Certificate of Origin
- The inspection certificate issued by the General Society de Surveillance
Importers require pre-shipment inspection and quality control. The inspection certificate must accompany all imported goods.
Importation of samples for commercial purposes is exempt from taxes. These goods must enter under an ATA carnet that can be obtained from the Council of the International Chamber of Commerce.
Which ship owners regularly call Mauritanian ports?
The ship owners are:
MAERSK LINE
CMA CGM
HAPPA
COSCO
SOGECO
Mauritania being a big country in the western part of Africa but less known, could you tell our readers a bit about the history of the country and perhaps also about places that would be nice to visit as a tourist?
The territory of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania covers a large area of approximately 1,030,700 km2. Its Atlantic coast is 754 km long. The climate is Sahelian in the South, Saharan in the North. Hydrography is almost limited to the Senegal River in the south of the country.
Tourism is a promising new sector for Mauritania whose potential remains little exploited. It mainly consists of Saharan tourism. The country has many tourist sites such as Chinguetti, Oualata, Ouadane or Tichitt, and in particular in the Adrar region.
The establishment of low-cost flights by the company Point-Afrique between France and Adrar has allowed Mauritania to really launch the tourism market in the region.
Mauritania has, in addition to the desert, other considerable tourist potential such as the Banc d´Arguin nature reserve. Banc d´Arguin is a national park that has attracted many visitors since its inception. It conserves swampy areas and shallow coastal waters. The contrast between the marine biological richness and the austerity of the desert forms a formidable and captivating landscape. The place is one of the most important places in the world where nesting birds and migrating waders can be found.
How is it possible for our readers to get in touch with you?
We look forward to hearing from everyone:
hayatt.zein@getshipping.mr
+222 43434114
www.getshipping.mr
